Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Okay….

Mom’s dead.

I can do this. I’ve been fending for myself for six months, mom was happy to have me out of the apartment so long as no one saw me.
She had to care for me if she wanted me back every day….right?

She had to love me if i couldn’t be seen and come back home….right?

Right?

The building burned as green flames refused to calm down.
The firefighters battled the emerald inferno as those who were heading home found it in ashes and those who escaped wept as they each gave statements as to what happened.

I snagged a green blanket from a trash can and climbed up to the rooftops.
Hiding where I had my feast, I wrapped myself up tight.

I looked at myself in a puddle nearby for any semblance of her.
Dark red skin, sure.
I touched my face, noting my black fingertips.
My horns slicked back at a sharp angle like hers…but mine were black and white with thin white lines in the bands.
A mix of male and female horn patterns.

She always called them weird.
Wondering why I came out with them like that.

My hair, a massive mane of black, wiry hair mixed with soft black feathers mixed in.

My eyes were a bright green, with white, glowing pupils.
Mom always called them creepy. Telling me to either squint or keep my eyes closed whenever she was around.

But the thing she hated most was my beak.
A large, crooked beak that faded to a near black to the tip.

It nearly got me caught when sneaking around the Lust Ring, stealing food and other things we needed.

I remember when I first snuck out and brought home a leather jacket that was left on a bench.
She was so angry at me for daring to leave the apartment, but when she saw the jacket. She got really excited.
I remember what she said,”Looks like you’re useful after all.”
And she smiled at me.

I took so many things to make her happy.

I’m just 12, what else was I supposed to do?
She liked me when I brought home good stuff for her, and guests to the Lust Ring usually had good stuff…..

I shook my head to snap back to the moment.

I had to think.

Where do I go from here?

I’ve never been much further than Ozzie’s back doors, but I’ve seen the Elevators in the distance….maybe….

No….

Those golden places aren’t meant for demons like me….

There’s no where to hide there!

Wait….why do have to hide? Mom never explained why.

I just did what she told me to.

“Maybe….I could…” I mumbled, looking down at the street below.
I touched my beak.
What would they think?
My feathers….mixed with the coarse hair of an imp….

And the fan on the end of my tail…

I grab my tail and guide it to wrap around my thin waist like a heavy belt.
I fix up the dirty blanket to hide my hair and feathers, like a cloak from the magazine mom had last year.
Granted, it was making fun of cloaks, but it’s the best thing I can do right now.
But how do I hide my beak?
How do I hide my feet?
Bent, black legs like a bird.
Nothing like hers.
No hooves for me.

I pace, trying to think of something, and in frustration, I kick the trash from my feast over the roof and I hear it hit someone.
“HEY!” I hear an angry voice call up.
I don’t even wait.
I don’t even respond.
I ran.

I didn’t even have a direction. I just needed to run.

But there was something……exciting about it.

I laughed.
I laughed for the first time in my life.
A terrible, squawking croak of a laugh.

But it was mine.

~~~~~~~~~

I lived my life stealing and running for a while after that.
Often breaking into the library after hours to learn as much as I could about Hell and the places that I could go to.

I learned how there used to be caves and tunnels that demons used to use more commonly before the Elevators were built.
There’s also passages specifically for trucks and choppers to make deliveries between the Rings.

I wish I could have someone help me get somewhere else….
I don’t dare to meet other demons.
I won’t let them see me.
What would they do if they did?
What would I say?
How do you talk to other people without feeling like you’re gonna be sick?

It was another night of hiding in the Library, the security guard had fallen asleep at his post as usual.

So silent as always, I treaded quietly through the shelves.
I was 15 at this point and I had read just about everything in this place at least twice.
But there was one that always evaded my attention.

“There you are.” I whispered to myself.
The Notable Works of the Ars Goetia.
I opened the book and froze.

They look like me….

Beaks and feathers…like mine….

And the way they live in comfort…they don’t need to worry about anything.
I read more.

The wealth.
Powers and destinies.
Families.
They all know where they come from.

“That’s not fair.” I whispered.

I feel my heart aching.

Maybe I could go to them.
Make my case.
Maybe they’ll bring me in, tell me that they were waiting for me, that I was meant to be something more than a starving thief!

I fell to my knees and read about their powers and how important they were.

Am I supposed to have powers?

Who was my dad?
Surely, he knew I existed.
Which one of them was my dad?

I didn’t even realize I was sobbing until a voice boomed and a flashlight shone in my face.
THE GUARD!
SHIT!

I froze in place, tears running down my face and the thought occurred to me.

This is the first time I’ve ever had another demon see me.
Mom always made me hide in the closet when she brought her partners to the apartment and told me to stay there until they left…..no matter how long they were there.
No matter how much I wanted to get out.
No matter how scared or hungry or whatever…

I didn’t even realize that I was shaking until the old hellhound put a paw on my shoulder.
“How did you get in here, Kid? You hungry?” He asked.
My stomach answered for me, I hadn’t been able to get anything good for a couple days.
“C’mon, you can take my lunch at my desk.” He helped me up to my feet, but I didn’t move.
I just stare at him, still crying and shaking.
“What’s the matter, Kid? Too good for a Hellhound’s food?” He asked, sounding annoyed.
I shake my head,”Y-You’re not….afraid?”
He raised an eyebrow,”Of a scrawny thing like you? You’re a bit funny lookin’ but I ain’t scared.” He laughed,”Nah, I’m gonna feed ya and get you to your momma.”
I look down at the floor,”Oh…that’s gonna be difficult.”
“Why?”
“She died 3 years ago in that apartment fire. The only reason I lived was because I snuck out and fell asleep on the roof of some shop a few blocks from Ozzie’s.”

The old Hellhound’s expression softened,”You got an old man? Another mom? Maybe some cousins?”
“I don’t know who my dad is… I don’t have anybody.” I just kept talking,”Mom told me that no one was supposed to see me, never told me why, and I just…..hid…” I held my shoulders, trying to shop the shaking,”She always said I was scary and creepy, and she never let anyone know I even existed.”
And I wept.
The Hellhound helped me to the desk and sat me down on his chair,”Kid, I hate to disrespect her. I think she just hated you.” He said before handing me a water bottle,”Listen, I’m gonna call my husband and ask him to get the couch ready. You’re welcome to come with me and get cleaned up.” He takes off his cap and rubs the back of his neck,”It wouldn’t be right to let a kid be left on….his? own?”
I wasn’t even sure how to answer that.
“You got a name, or do I just call you Kid?” He smiled,”I’m Piles.”

“….Ephai… My name is Ephai.”

Chapter Text

I didn’t even realize what the old man’s plan was until he had clocked out and had me follow him to his car.
The thing was tiny and very old.
A rust covered box with faded stickers that were hard to read at this point.

“You comin’?” He asked.
Piles is a big, bulky, broad Hellhound.

Something of a mastiff, bully mix, with half of his head lop sided and rolls of skin on his neck.
With a scar over his eye on the lopped side and blinded.
A mustache swaying lazily at the end of his jowls.

I look at him anxiously and step into the car.

I don’t care what happens next, I just want someone to know I exist.
I’m just tired of hiding.
I don’t-

“-phai. Ephai!” Piles put a paw on my shoulder.
I look up,”Huh?”
“What do you want for breakfast?
I look at him in confusion and then out the window.
A drive thru?
I look at him and stammer,”U-Uh….I’ll eat anything.” I said quietly.

It was true.
I had my favorites but I couldn’t afford to be picky.
I ate anything I could get my claws on.

Sometimes I didn’t eat.

A paper bag is set on my lap.
The food is hot, steam rising from the opening.

I look over at Piles as he was eating some kind of breakfast burrito.
I open it and there’s a couple of different things in it. A burrito like his, a couple different sandwiches, and even a sticky bun in a box.
Is that all for me?
Did he just want me to hold it?
What are you supposed to say to something like this?

I think he could tell what I was thinking.
“I gave ya some choices, boy. I saw how you practically inhaled my lunch.” He chuckled a bit before patting my shoulder,”I’ve been hungry like that before, Kid. A lot of us have, an’ some of us don’t make it.”
I was surprised at this.
I thought it was just me.
I never read anything like that in the library, but then again, it was hard to find anything that wasn’t erotica or manuals for certain kinks.

I tentatively open a burrito and ate.

I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I finished it in less than a minute.
And I ate everything else in the bag just as quickly, almost choking on the sticky bun.
“Slow down there, kiddo, I ain’t gonna take nothin’ from ya.” He slapped my back to help loosen the lump that I was struggling with.
I felt shame wash over me.
I ate so much food.
He only ate one thing.
He’s much taller than me and easily three times my weight.

How could he starve himself like that?

He could’ve easily grabbed me and overpowered me.
He could’ve turned me in to the authorities.
Paraded me as the monster my monster always told me that I was….

The car stopped and I see….not the Lust Ring.
I see gold, yellow skies.
So different from the dark blue skies always full of rain I’ve always known.

The building we stopped at was practically falling apart, covered in graffiti, and trees growing out of/into the building.

I have never seen so many plants before!

Come to think of it, the only plants I ever saw were either plastic or in the Aphrodisiac Greenhouse.

I hear the old man chuckling.
“I’m guessing you never left the Lust Ring?”
I just shake my head no.
“Well, Ephai, welcome to the Gluttony Ring. We’re in a small town called Ghrelin.” He smiles gently as he leads me into the building and up to the second floor.

Unlocking the door, he hunches over to avoid hitting his head.
Another Hellhound walks out of the only bedroom, a very old wiener dog with a bite taken out of one of his ears.
“Good Mornin’, Honey Pile~” he shuffles to Piles and the two nuzzled noses.

The small man leans over and looks at me.
His eyes in a permanent squint as he just smiles at me,”You must be our little guest.” He gives me an affectionate pinch on the cheek,”We don’t have much but you can have the couch for as long as you need. Piles said you reminded him of himself when he was a boy.”
Piles blushes,”Ernest, you hush now.”
Ernest chuckles,”You go to bed now, Darlin’. You got work tonight.”
“No, Ernie, Biter works tonight. You’re gettin’ ready for work this mornin’.” Piles leads him to the bathroom.
“Oh yeah.” Ernest shuffles off.
Piles looks at me and ruffles my feathers,”You’re allowed to sit down, boy. You feel free to sleep on the couch, I gotta drive Ernest to work but I’ll be back in a while.”
I was so tired.
I didn’t wanna sleep.
Sleeping in the open?!
That’s insane!
He could see the fear on my face as he grabs a baseball bat from behind the potted tree next to the door.
“If it helps ya rest better, you can hold onto Ol’ Glory an’ when I knock on the door, you can ask me what my bat’s name is. So you know it’s me, ok?” He says gently,”No offense, Ephai, but you look like shit. You need some sleep. When was the last time you actually slept?”
I sleep!……
No longer than 4 hours…usually an hour or two to move and find a new hiding place.
He sees my hesitation.
He gives me a gentle smile,”You’re safe here, ok?”
I grip the bat tightly, sit down on the couch, and lay down, stiff as a board.
He puts a blanket on me before heading out of the door with Ernest.

And I fall asleep within 30 minutes.

~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up, it was dark outside.
I jolted up in fear and hold the bat at the ready.
How long was I asleep?!
I look around the apartment.
I forgot where I was but I remembered.
I’m not in the Lust Ring, I’m in Gluttony!
I look around to get my bearings.
There’s not really a lot of places to hide here.
I hear snoring in the only other room besides the bathroom.
Two snores.
I quietly step over there to look inside and see Piles and Ernest sleeping soundly.

My stomach growls loudly.

How could I be hungry?

My hands shake as I decide whether to leave to look for food or steal theirs.

I carefully step to open the door to head out to look for food but I noticed a box with my name poorly written on it.
What was this?

A full meal.

Left for me.

It was cold, potatoes congealed.

But I ate every bite and it was delicious.

I wonder why….why would they give me this?
But that doesn’t matter.
I need to explore.
Just to get my bearings.
I look at the window above the busted old tv being used to hold a potted plant.

I crawl out and climb up the building to look around.
Immediate notice;
Trees.
Lots of trees.
Bushes and even flowers.

The street is full of either abandoned or poorly maintained buildings.
There’s hellhounds walking down the street.
Looks like they’re coming back from a party, I can smell the alcohol from here.

Noisy.
They’re very noisy.

In the distance, I can see spiraling, glass buildings.

One in particular grabbing my eye, it seems important.

I need to find more information.
I need a library.
See what’s important here.

~~~~~~~

That became my routine for a while.

And as I became more familiar with the area, even learning about the neighbors.
Learning about Piles and Ernest.

Despite my anxiety and wariness of them, they never relented their kindness to me.
Always leaving me a plate of whatever they had prepared.
Always having the couch ready with a pillow and the blanket cleaned.
Smelling like cheap soap and honeycomb.

I felt like I owed them a debt.

So one night, while they believed I was asleep, I listened to them talking about paying rent.
Apparently Ernie had been laid off that day for falling asleep at the desk again.
Very quickly replaced with a new, much younger succubus as Librarian.
“Don’t worry, Ernie, we’ll figure it out. We always do.” Piles says warmly to the anxious little man.
Ernie sniffles.
I guess he had started crying,”I know, I just worry. I didn’t wanna retire.”
“I know, but we’re old dogs, Darlin’. It was bound to happen at some point, my guess is that I’ll be let go next.”

When they went to bed, I had determined that I would pay them back.
One way or another.

I had a disguise so I couldn’t be looked for, if I were caught.
A plague doctor style mask and a large, old coat that made me look much bulkier than I was, and a pair of dirty boots to hide my birdlike feet.
As well as a wide brimmed, black hat.

This was the first time I walked in public, with other demons.
But I had a mission, I needed to get them money.
Or at least valuables that they could sell.

What I needed to do was find some wealthy folks to rob.
Why should they hoard all the money while good folks like Piles and Ernest struggle in their old age?
I stopped at a bus stop and read over the map to see where the richer neighborhoods were, looking over where things were further from Ghrelin.
That’s when I noticed something on the map.
“Queen Bee’s Party Manor…” I muttered to myself.
“YOOOOO! You heading to the party to?!” A couple of teenage Hellhounds hollered.
One was a boxer, the other a Shepard of some sort.
“Party?” I asked.
“Ya man! Queen Bee throws the best parties! You should come!” The boxer laughed.
I can’t steal from a Deadly Sin….but maybe there are wealthy neighbors I could “meet” after the party.
“Uh, sure. I’m new here so I’ve never been to one of these parties.”
The two wrapped their arms around me,”WOOOO! LETS GOOOOO!” The shepherd howled in excitement.
I panicked for a moment but I had to pretend everything was fine.
Once we got there, I would break off from the pair and sneak off to whatever other homes there were nearby.

But the ride there was….enlightening.
The Boxer’s name is Nabber and the shepherd’s is Paper Plate.
Nabber is my age at 15 while Paper Plate is 16.
They’re best friends and have been since they were puppies.
Nabber hopes to work in the Lust Ring as a bouncer, dreaming of beautiful women and catching their attention.
I wasn’t gonna break it to him that Hellhounds hardly get Bouncer work in Lust.
Meanwhile, Paper Plate wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but knew that he’d wanna stay in Gluttony with his mom. “What do you wanna do, Stranger?” Nabber asked. I was surprised by the question, and I just shrugged,”I dunno. Survive?” Paper Plate laughed,”Nah man, you gotta live! That’s why we’re sneaking into a Queen Bee party! We’re gonna get fucked up tonight!” Oh. It’s not a party for teenagers. They’re sneaking in. I hope they don’t notice when I break off to look around the area. I’m looking out the window and watching the route so I can possibly get back on foot. “So what’s your name again? I don’t think you told us.” Nabber asked, one ear threatening to flop onto his eye as he tilted his head. I hesitate, but I answered,”Ephai.” “And I thought Paper Plate was a weird name.” Nabber laughed. Paper Plate punched Nabber playfully, but definitely hard enough to hurt as Nabber rubbed his arm,”Ok, I deserved that.” I think…..I’m gonna like these two.